Call Waiting
by greycoupons
Summary: Fox Mulder never calls Maggie Scully unless something is terribly wrong.
1. Chapter 1

**February 1997**

She never asked him for anything. Sure, she would ask if he could pick her up a coffee on the way in when he was already stopping to get one himself or for a ride home when her car was in the shop but nothing that actually mattered or took effort. He, on the other hand, never hesitated to ask for favors both big and small. Often he didn't even bother to ask, he just expected her to do whatever he needed.

It was a simple request. He just needed to call her mother and ask her to pick up some of her clothes and bring them to the hospital in Allentown. Of course, he would have to tell Maggie Scully why her daughter was in the hospital. For a brief moment he considered punting. He could be vague with Mrs. Scully and not tell her anything beyond the fact that Scully was in the hospital. He dismissed the idea as soon as he thought of it, both because he knew Mrs. Scully wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than the complete truth and it would be a total cop out.

It was his fault Scully was sick, wasn't it? The least he could do was take one burden off of her.

He pulled out his wallet. He kept Maggie Scully's number in it, scrawled on a piece of paper tucked behind his gym card. He took out the paper and stared at it for a long time. He was stalling.

Mulder pulled out his phone and carefully dialed the number before pressing send.

The phone rang several times on the other hand. Maybe she wasn't home. Had he caught a break? What? Was he going to tell her about this in a message on her answering machine? That would just be cruel. He was shaken from his meandering thoughts when she answered the phone.

"Hello," she said, having no idea of the blow he was about to hit her with. He sighed internally.

"Hi Mrs. Scully. This is Fox Mulder." He was met with dead silence that felt like it went on forever but could not have been more than ten or fifteen seconds.

"What's wrong? Is Dana alright? What happened?" That was it, wasn't it. They didn't have the kind of relationship where he just called to say hello and chat. He only called her when something was VERY wrong. At least Scully hadn't been kidnapped this time.

"Dana is…" he started. She is okay? But she wasn't remotely okay. She's alive? Somehow he didn't think that would make her feel much better.

"Fox?" He really could not stall here.

He tried again. "Dana is a hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania and would like you to bring her some things from her apartment. A change of clothes and her bathrobe."

It was quiet on the other end. She was waiting for an explanation.

"She has cancer. A brain tumor. We were there on a work related matter and she found out about this doctor who developed a treatment for her specific kind of cancer that she's going to try." He elected to not tell her that all the other abductees previously diagnosed with brain tumors, save one, had died. It was something he really couldn't bring himself to think about for very long without wanting to throw up.

There was silence on the other end before she thanked him for letting her know and abruptly ended the call.

**January 1999**

He was sitting in his seat anxiously waiting for the plane to take off when he got the call. After he had hung up with Ritter, he had rushed to the airport and booked the next shuttle to New York. He couldn't get a seat on the next flight so he ended up having to wait almost an hour and a half. He passed the time by alternating between trying to call Ritter and Scully. Her phone seemed to be off and the other agent wasn't answering. He tried to tell himself they were busy booking Fellig but his gut was telling him something was wrong.

So he really wasn't surprised when his phone rang although he was really hoping it was Scully. It wasn't. It was Skinner and that fact alone was a punch to the gut as soon as he heard his voice. Their former boss was forbidden to have any contact with them so if he was breaking that rule, something was very wrong.

"Mulder, this is Walter Skinner." He didn't wait for Mulder to reply before continuing.

"Something's happened on the case Scully was working on. She was shot."

He considered saying a prayer to a god he didn't even believe in. "Is she alive? Who shot her? Was it Fellig?"

"She's alive," Skinner reassured him. "It was an accident. This agent she had been working with…Ritter? He attempted to apprehend the suspect and fired his weapon at him. Unfortunately, Scully was also hit. But she's alive. I don't have any other info on her condition."

This was pretty much his worst nightmare. He knew the young agent had been too green to handle this case and be able to watch Scully's back. Vaguely, he realized Skinner was still talking.

"She's being transported to NYU Medical Center right now." Mulder peered up the aisle of the plane where the flight attendants were getting ready for take off.

"I'm on a plane to New York. Just waiting for it to depart. Has someone called her mother to let her know what happened?" There was a pause that went on a beat too long.

"It was thought that you should tell her since she already knows you." He knew damned well who had that thought and it wasn't Skinner.

"Mulder, I can call her if that would be easier?" Skinner offered, no doubt wanting to do anything to make this better.

No way. Scully was his partner. It was his job to watch her back. He had let her down and calling her mother was the least he could. He told Skinner he would do it and ended the call.  
He looked at his phone and considered. The plane was about to take off and he would have to turn his phone off. He could call Maggie once he got to New York. No, putting this offer wouldn't be fair to Mrs. Scully or Scully.  
He fished her number out of his wallet and dialed.

She picked up on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mrs. Scully. This is Fox Mulder. Something has happened to Dana…"


	2. Chapter 2

**April 2000**

Something was very wrong. Scully had left him a message that there had been a family emergency and she would be out of the office for a few days.

He wondered why she hadn't called his cell. They were together after all. They had never actually discussed what their relationship was now. After they kissed at the stroke of midnight on New Years, things had progressed. Their first time and been less then a week later.

He had worried it was a one time event but Scully seemed eager to continue things...with her unspoken limits. Nothing at the office. Not while on a case. That rule they had only broken once or twice. They didn't spend every night together. He didn't want to push her too hard.

She had invited him to Sunday dinner at her mother's house. They did not kiss or hold hands but he had a feeling Maggie knew what was going on. She kept smiling at them which honestly just made him nervous. He didn't want to screw this up. At least Bill wasn't there to glare at him.

Then came today. One minute Scully was getting tipped off to a child miraculously cured of cancer and the next she was just gone. He told himself she wasn't really avoiding him. Something had come up with her family. He needed to stop ruminating and just pick up the phone.

He hadn't been able to get ahold of her at home or on her cell so he would just call her mother. He hoped he wasn't intruding too much but he needed to talk to Scully. Maybe he could do something to help.

He picked up the phone. By this point, he had Maggie Scully's number programmed on speed dial. He hit the number and listened to it rang. Mrs Scully picked up on third ring.

"Hello?" she said hurriedly.

"Hi Mrs. Scully. This is Fox Mulder. I'm sorry to intrude. I hope everything is okay. I just really need to talk to Dana for a minute."

"I'm sorry, Fox. You caught me right as I was coming back from the grocery store. Dana's not here. It's the middle of the day. Shouldn't she be at work with you?"

Oh hell. Just so he wouldn't second guess himself later he clarified, "I'm sorry. I thought there was some kind of family emergency."

Now Maggie sounded agitated and after everything her family had been through in the past seven years he couldn't blame her. Really, hearing his voice on the phone would trigger a panic attack in anyone by this point.

"No, no emergency.. I haven't talked to Dana since last week when she-(stood her up for something). Did she tell you there was an emergency? Did you try her cell phone? I'll call her cell phone!"

Sensing he had managed to seriously freak her out he tried to soothe her even as his first urge was to lose it himself.

"No, I think I just got my wires crossed. Don't worry about it. I think Dana just wanted a day off."

They both knew Dana Katherine Scully had never called out sick a day in her life. Hell, he could hardly get her to take time off when she was actually sick or injured.

He needed to get off the phone and go talk to Skinner. "Fox?" Mrs. Scully was speaking to him and it would be good if he actually responded.

"I'm sorry to bother you. I'm sure-no, I know everything is fine. Don't worry about it."

"Tell Dana to call me, please," she pleaded with him. Funny how she just knew he would get ahold of her before her own mother would. He promised and hung up the phone.

He just knew things were about to get bad. He was right.

**February 2000**

Mulder flipped the greeting card with the inscribed bible quote and examined it for at least the tenth time. It had come in the mail yesterday from Maggie Scully. She had written a lovely note expressing her sympathy over the loss of his sister.

He guessed Scully must have told her what they had found and what he'd come to believe. So she had sent him a card. He didn't get the religious sentiment at all and was pretty sure his mother would be rolling over in her grave at the idea, but the fact she thought of him at all was nice. He wasn't even sure Mrs. Scully knew he and her daughter were...together.

Things had been so odd lately but not in a completely bad way. He had been obsessed with finding his sister for so many years that the feelings of yearning and grief were as second nature to him as breathing. This quest had always been the very fabric at the heart of his existence. Now it was gone. He felt free and it was such a glorious feeling. Everything in his life since November 27, 1973 had existed in murky shadows. Now all the colors of the universe were unlocked in all their vibrance.

At the same time he felt the loss. He could no longer pretend Samantha was alive waiting for him to rescue her. He had spent 26 years telling himself he would see her again if he just tried hard enough. To lose someone to the great unknown is an evil beast that feeds on your soul and siphons the life out of you year after year. But when you knew for sure a person lost to you was truly dead, it became real. It was final. No last minute hail Mary pass. He was still trying to properly process all of this.

He could talk to Scully. She had asked him to. He wasn't deliberately trying to keep his uncertainess from her. Their romantic relationship was a delicate balance of togetherness and not talking about the important stuff. He worried dropping too much on her would shatter the fragile equilibrium of their union. So he stayed inside his own head.

New England manners drilled into his head as a child back before everything had gone to hell told him he should call her mom and thank her. It really was quite an idea to call Maggie when it wasn't some dire emergency.

He pulled out his cell, noting the battery was low, and hit speed dial.

She answered on the second ring. He could hear chatter in the background. She must have company over.

"Hi, this is Fox Mulder." Dead silence. Even the voices in the background seemed to suddenly go silent. Before she could assume the worst, he continued, "nothing is wrong, I just wanted to thank you for the nice card you sent." He could almost feel her relief echoing down the phone line.  
She told him to hold on for a minute while she walked into the other room and shut the door before continuing.

"Of course. Losing someone is always hard. I also lit a candle for her at church. When I've lost people it was always the love and support of family members that got me through."

Mulder winced slightly at her words. She certainly was no stranger to loss no thanks to him. Did Maggie really consider him a friend? Or even family? It gave him a warm feeling at the center of chest when he thought about it.

He realized she was still talking and he had lost track of the conversation. He tuned back in to hear her ask how he had settled things for Samanatha.

"Settled? I'm not sure what you mean," he told her.

She hesitated before elaborating. "I don't want to overstep but Dana never mentioned you having a funeral or memorial service."

A funeral? Who was left on earth besides him that knew and loved Samanatha to attend? His family was all gone. The idea that he was the only one left who remembered she existed was almost too much. A service with only him and Scully as attendees certainly wouldn't provide the kind of closure he wanted. Especially since he was pretty sure CGB Spender would crash it and then he would have to shoot the man.

At his silence Maggie gave it another shot. "What about a gravestone? After Bill passed we scattered his ashes at sea. It was just as he wanted and I don't regret that. I have found I miss having a place to go to properly mourn him. Even if his body wouldn't be there it would still be a place to center my pain. I think that's why I was too eager when Dana was missing. I needed a place I could go to for reflecting. I visit Melissa's grave every week and it really helped with the grieving process. I can go and surround her with love any time I want to."

Mulder considered it. He didn't think he'd ever feel love in a cemetery but it would be final. A concrete end. Proof for him and all the world to see that Sam was really gone.

"Thanks, Mrs. Scully. I hadn't thought about it but a gravestone would be a way to remind people she existed. I still need to order one for my mother so I could put her on that. Then she would be with family which is where she belongs."

"That's great, Fox. I really was worried I was overstepping. Dana would fuss at me but I worry about you," she told him sincerely.

He thanked her again and they exchanged a few more pleasantries before hanging up. He came away from the conversation feeling solid and moored. He was so lucky to have the Scully women in his life.


End file.
